MOMA Summer school

I was at the Museum of Modern Art PS1 summer school yesterday. What an amazing day! I performed in Satisfyin' Lover and State, the seminal choreography of postmodern dance theater founder Steve Paxton. MOMA has really got some extraordinary curation going on there now-a-days! In addition, I got to meet Industrial music pioneer Genesis P-Orridge and I took a class with renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic. I had so much inspiration going that day. It inspired me with ideas of how to work sculpture into performance. More on this later!

What Do You See?

Bushwick

Nature and Paper

I love a strong piece of paper.  It lends to so many variations of shape. These are single pieces of Bristol cut and shaped by hand. These pieces seem to be accumulating into a narrative. The simpler pieces suggest mortality and the vulnerable aspect of nature. Those that are molded into more complex shapes, mime aspects of nature. I plan to re-size these pieces into 6 feet tall sculptures. I want to use these existing pieces as a model for the larger ones. The plan is to include metal sculpture to help balance the fragile paper pieces. The metal sculptures- intended to convey the infallible aspects of the natural world.

Still life collage

Still life collage.
Household paint tiles glued on foam.

REACH

Reach
Wood, Glue, Photo, Paint, Wire

3D Collage

Household paint tile samples with mixed images.

Reach

            ‘Reach’ is a 3D object built around the idea of an arm in kinetic motion. 
 

When I first began the building process  I thought that I would build with wood pieces; toothpicks gorilla glued into squares of different sizes. I thought that the fragility of the thin wood would read well and give a different sensibility to the human form. During the process I decided to create other shapes, diamond and triangle shapes as well. The gorilla glue expanded into the side of the squares which enhanced the expression of the basic shape by distorting it. 

 I started to agree more with this distortion as I continued in my process. I trimmed the shapes to give a clean exterior but left the gorilla glue as is. I painted the shapes with a stark yellow color that gave an unnatural effect; this choice became a part of the journey, it helped define where I would go to next. The yellow also seemed to add a clear definition so, there seemed to be a visual contrast of distortion and clarity. The color was a beautiful bright red which alludes to the idea of veins inside an arm.

 This version of an arm is conceptual and abstract. There is a picture located at the very top of a hand in motion. Its abstract shape is intended to refer to an arm in motion rather than the exterior shape of an arm. It will bend easily without breaking and is mobile, it can move with a wind source. Its shape can be changed at any time. It is mounted on a slanted black foam board to enhance the idea of mobility. The piece could be placed on the floor or mounted on a wall or ceiling.

 I am inspired to create many versions of these arms since there are so many variables of outcome. Even through this process has been time consuming the end product was exciting and rewarding.

Self-portraits

I am exploring a series of self-portraits in metal and plastic. This is a sample, a work-in-progess. I have a piece of sheet metal that a friend gave me that was once a part of the infamous 90's sex club 'The Lure'. I did not not know what to do with it when I got it, but I thought it was an interesting, cool gift.  I am grinding it into a half mirror polish the result will be part reflection/part distortion, in the center. I'll use my face as the model, when I finish it I will hang it on meat hooks.

Passion: One Minute Drawings

It was challenging today in drawing class. I ended up discovering a-lot when we were asked to do a series of one minute drawings. Not having to add any extras, to adjust only to the contour of the model's frame was liberating! This taught me how the simplicity of a single line could be so expressive. Like dancing, during this exploration, these lines felt utterly kinetic. I have never done a one minute drawing but I think I will be doing more of them now!

http://www8.esc.edu/esconline/escdocuments/studentvoice.nsf/3cc42a422514347a8525671d0049f395/bb6ce1f0734d2a388525799d00758baa?OpenDocument

Announcement! Yes!

I attended a fascinating performance art event at the Grace Exhibition Space in Bushwick Brooklyn on Friday night. I jumped right into the action and took some photos. The chaos was immense and the air was very thick with smoke. There was plenty to look at and think about. My friends did not understand it. I told them to concentrate on one thing at a time and then think of it later, as a whole. Performance art is not normally quiet, the action itself creates artful thoughts for the audience. I like that the Grace Space is focusing on the development of this particular art form. There was a very large stationary icon head with moving arms while another performer duo created their own "demi-god", a masked body being dragged on a sliding board through the spectators. This masked head seemed to emulate a struggle to become more like the self-made god form that reminded untouched, in its stagnant position.
The chaos ensued, as other performers struggled with their "tasks". Some of the most striking visual elements were the dead rubber doll and a homemade music contraption that was so ugly, but made the most beautiful sounds. It had two fan covers that were hooked into a sound system. They acted like beautiful harps when they were touched. There was a child carefully placing round stickers around the space. We asked him for one. He did not respond, but continued to attend to his duties. Next to him were two nude masked figures playing a hand clapping game. This was the most striking and disturbing problem of the performance for me to figure out. The child, unaffected by the childish behavior of the adults. The roles reversed from real life.

I am taking a drawing class. This is my first drawing. I chose the hardest thing on the object table to draw. Skulls have always held a fascination for me. Human or animal. They remind me of how strong a body really is; of its strength and permanence. With our other parts, it seems as if we are so frail. It takes bones years upon years to disappear long after death. Skulls are a powerful symbol of physiological strength.